1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the reproduction by a projector of image data, which includes digitized moving pictures, such as animation, video images and the like, and still pictures, such as text, charts, and photographs and the like. In particular, this invention relates to a method of reproducing image data in a network projector system, which is connected to a server computer through a computer network, and which can effectively reproduce image data by a projector. This invention also relates to such a network projector system.
2. Description of Related Art
Projectors are often used during presentations and meetings to display presentation materials or the like. In particular, recently, materials for presentation have typically been created as image data by a personal computer (hereafter referred to as xe2x80x9cPCxe2x80x9d). The image data which has been created can be easily reproduced by a PC.
Therefore, recently, a method has been performed wherein a PC is connected to a projector, the image data which is created in advance is reproduced by the PC, and the reproduced image is displayed by the projector. According to this method, a plurality of image data, which have been created by the PC, can be copied onto an external recording medium, such as a floppy disk (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cFDxe2x80x9d), and the image data of the same material can be used in a plurality of locations.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing one example of a method of displaying an image by a conventional projector. In FIG. 8, when image data is created and displayed by a projector, the presentation material or the like is initially digitized and processed by a PC that is provided for image data creation, and the image data is created and saved onto a recording medium, such as a hard disk (hereafter referred to as xe2x80x9cHDxe2x80x9d) or the like of the PC (801). When a presentation or the like is to be given, the image data, which has been saved in the HD or the like of the PC, is downloaded to an external recording medium, such as a FD (802).
At a location where the presentation is to be given, a PC, which is provided for reproduction and can reproduce the image data, is prepared (set up), and a projector is connected to this PC (803). Next, the PC, which is provided for reproduction, downloads the image data from the external recording medium, such as an FD, to its HD (804). The PC, which is provided for reproduction, appropriately reproduces and processes the image data which has been downloaded, and the image is transferred to the projector (805). The projector displays the image, which has been transferred from the PC, on a display device, such as a large screen (806).
Thus, in the method of displaying an image by a conventional projector, the presentation material or the like is created as image data by a PC that is provided for image data creation, the image data is reproduced by a PC that is provided for reproduction at the presentation location, and the image is displayed by a projector which is connected to the PC that is provided for reproduction.
However, in accordance with this method of displaying an image by a conventional projector, a PC used for reproduction of the image data needs to be prepared at the presentation location (meeting halls, meeting rooms, or the like). In particular, a reproduction application which can reproduce image data, which is created in advance, needs to be provided for the PC that is provided for reproduction. This reproduction application depends upon an application which has created image data. Furthermore, recently, there are various creation applications which create image data, and many different people create image data using various software. Because of this, the problem arises that appropriate reproduction applications are not available for reproduction of image data in a PC which is prepared at a presentation location. Thus, the image data which has been prepared cannot be reproduced by the PC at the presentation location, and an image cannot be displayed by the projector.
Furthermore, it takes time to set up both the PC and the projector. Thus, the problem arises that at a location where a projector and PC cannot be prepared in advance, the method of display is limited to a method that does not use a projector.
Furthermore, it is necessary to bring an FD or the like, which includes recorded image data, to the meeting location. Thus, the problem arises that necessary FDs can be forgotten when a plurality of FDs exist.
Furthermore, when the most common type of FD is used as the external recording medium which records and carries image data, because its recordable data capacity is limited, the problem arises that it is difficult to reproduce and display image data with moving pictures with a large capacity requirement.
In addition, when the image data, which has been created by a PC, is displayed by a projector, if a PC is prepared for every meeting room of a certain company, the problem arises that the cost of the presentations is high because PCs can be expensive.
Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a method of reproducing image data in a network projector system, and a network projector system, which can conveniently process image data, that includes moving pictures, at low cost and display images by a projector without being restricted by the specifications and environment of the PC.
In order to solve the problems of the conventional art, a method of reproducing image data, in accordance with a first embodiment of this invention, is a method of reproducing image data in a network projector system that has at least one server connected to a network, and at least one projector connected to the at least one server through the network. The method comprises the steps of:
(a) preparing data that includes image data of an image to be reproduced by the at least one projector and image controlling data at the at least one server,
(b) establishing communication between any projector of the at least one projector and at least one specified server of the at least one server through the network,
(c) transferring the data that includes the image data and the image controlling data from the at least one specified server with which communication has been established to the projector,
wherein processing performed, in the projector which has received the data which has been transferred, comprises the steps of:
(d) determining image data necessary for the image to be displayed based upon the image controlling data,
(e) checking whether the necessary image data is stored on a memory medium,
(f) determining whether there is sufficient empty space available in the memory medium to store the necessary image data if the necessary image data is not stored in the memory medium,
(g) detecting data that is unnecessary for the image to be displayed, and deleting the unnecessary data from the memory medium when the empty space in the memory medium is insufficient to store the necessary image data,
(h) receiving the necessary image data from the specified server,
(i) storing the image data which has been received in the memory medium,
(j) processing the image data which has been stored and forming an image, and
(k) displaying the image which has been formed.
Furthermore, in order to solve the problems of the conventional art, a method of reproducing image data, in accordance with a second embodiment of this invention, is a method of reproducing image data in a network projector system that has at least one server connected to a network, and at least one projector connected to the at least one server through the network. The method comprises the steps of:
(a) preparing data that includes image data of an image to be reproduced by the at least one projector and image controlling data at the at least one server,
(b) establishing communication between any projector of the at least one projector and at least one specified server of the at least one server through the network,
(c) transferring the data that includes the image data and the image controlling data from the at least one specified server with which communication has been established to the projector,
wherein processing performed in the projector which has received the data which has been transferred, comprises the steps of:
(d) determining image data necessary for the image to be displayed based upon the image controlling data,
(e) checking whether the necessary image data is stored on a memory medium,
(f) determining whether there is sufficient empty space available in the memory medium to store the necessary image data if the necessary image data is not stored on the memory medium,
(g) detecting data that is unnecessary for the image to be displayed, and deleting the unnecessary data from the memory medium when the empty space in the memory medium is sufficient to store the necessary image data,
(h) receiving the necessary image data from the specified server,
(i) storing the image data which has been received in the memory medium,
(j) processing the image data which has been stored and forming an image,
(k) displaying the image which has been formed,
(l) inputting an event in connection with the image which has been displayed,
(m) generating a script according to the event which has been input,
(n) processing the script which has been generated, and
(o) controlling the processing of the image data according to the result of the processing of the script.
Furthermore, in accordance with the method of reproducing image data in a network projector system of the second embodiment of this invention, it is also acceptable to include a script into an image displayed in step (k), and input an event in connection with the script in step (l).
By preparing image data at a server, connecting a projector and a server to a network, processing the image data with the projector, and displaying an image, a PC is not needed at a meeting place, and the image can be easily formed from the image data and displayed without being restricted by the environment. Furthermore, because it is possible to check whether the image data to be reproduced is stored, and to delete unnecessary data from the memory medium, the image data can be downloaded from a server according to the memory capacity, and the memory capacity can be kept small.
In accordance with the method of reproducing image data in a network projector system of the first and second embodiments of the invention described above, the processing of steps (d) through (i) can be performed for an image to be displayed next, while steps (j) and (k) are being performed.
By downloading the image data from a server and reproducing it while the image is being displayed, it is possible to effectively perform smooth processing without interrupting the display of the image.
In accordance with the method of reproducing image data in a network projector system of the first and second embodiments of this invention described above, step (c) can transfer data, including image data, image controlling data, and an image processing application, from a specified server, among the servers with which communication has been established, to the projector, and step (j) can process the image data by the image processing application and form an image.
If the image processing application is prepared at a server, and the image processing application is read along with the image data from a server, it is not necessary to separately provide an application which processes the image data.
Additionally, the image data which is received from the server in steps (c) and (h) can include at least one of still picture data, sound data, digital video data, script data, and text data. Furthermore, step (j) can include a step which processes digital video data and forms an image, and a step which processes image data other than digital video data and forms an image.
Moving pictures and still pictures can be individually processed according to the type of image data, and formation and display of an image can be effectively performed.
Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional art, a method of reproducing image data, in accordance with a third embodiment of this invention, is a method of reproducing image data in a network projector system that has at least one server connected to a network, and at least one projector connected to the at least one server through the network. The method comprises the steps of:
(a) preparing data that includes image data of an image to be reproduced by the at least one projector, image controlling data, and an image processing application at the at least one server,
(b) establishing communication between any projector of the at least one projector and at least one specified server of the at least one server through the network,
(c) designating, from the projector, an image to be displayed to the server with which communication has been established,
(d) determining image data, which is necessary for the image, which has been designated from the projector at the server with which communication has been established, based upon the image controlling data,
(e) processing the image data which has been determined, by the image processing application of the server with which communication has been established, and forming the image,
(f) transferring a reproduced image to the projector from the server with which communication has been established,
(g) determining whether there is sufficient empty space available in a memory medium of the projector to store the image,
(h) detecting unnecessary data and deleting the unnecessary data from the memory medium when the vacant area on the memory medium is insufficient to store the image,
(i) storing the image which has been transferred from the server with which communication has been established in the memory medium,
(j) displaying the image which has been stored by the projector,
(k) inputting an event from the projector in connection with the image which has been displayed,
(l) generating a script according to the event which has been input from the projector, and transferring the script to the server with which communication has been established,
(m) receiving and processing the script at the server with which communication has been established, and
(n) controlling the processing of the image data by the image processing application according to the result of the processing of the script.
In accordance with the method of reproducing image data in a network projector system of the third embodiment of this invention described above, because the processing of an image and a script is performed on the server side, the effectiveness of processing an image improves, and the cost of the network projector system can be inexpensive.
In accordance with the method of reproducing image data of the second and third embodiments of this invention, script processing can be individually performed, and an image can be effectively and interactively processed and displayed.
In accordance with the method of reproducing image data in a network projector system of the third embodiment of this invention, the step (e) can include a step that processes digital video data and forms the image, and a step that processes image data other than digital video data and forms an image.
Moving pictures and still pictures can be individually processed according to the type of image data, and formation and display of an image can be effectively performed.
Additionally, in order to solve the above problems of the conventional art, a network projector system of the first embodiment of this invention is a network projector system that has at least one server connected to a network, and at least one projector connected to the at least one server through the network.
The at least one server comprises a device that prepares data that includes image data of the image to be reproduced by a projector and image controlling data.
The network comprises:
a device that establishes communication between any projector of the at least one projector and at least one specified server of the at least one server, and
a transfer device that transfers data that includes the image data and the image controlling data from the at least one specified server of the at least one server with which communication has been established to the projector.
The projector with which communication has been established comprises:
a receiving device that receives the data that includes the image data and the image controlling data from the at least one specified server,
a memory medium that stores the data which has been received by the receiving device,
a device that determines image data which is necessary for the image to be displayed based upon the image controlling data,
a device that checks whether the necessary image data is stored in the memory medium,
a device that determines whether there is sufficient empty space in the memory medium to store the necessary image data when the necessary image data is not stored in the memory medium,
a device that detects data that is unnecessary for the image to be displayed, and deletes the unnecessary data from the memory medium when the empty space available in the memory medium is insufficient to store the necessary image data,
an image formation device that processes the image data which has been stored in the memory medium and forms an image, and
a display that displays the image which has been formed by the image formation device.
Furthermore, in order to solve the above problem of the conventional art, a network projector system of the second embodiment of this invention is a network projector system that has at least one server connected to a network, and at least one projector connected to the at least one server through the network.
The at least one server comprises a device that prepares data that includes image data of the image to be reproduced by a projector and image controlling data.
The network comprises:
a device that establishes communication between any projector of the at least one projector, and at least one specified server of the at least server, and
a transfer device that transfers data that includes the image data and the image controlling data from the at least one specified server of the at least one server with which communication has been established to the projector.
The projector with which communication has been established comprises:
a receiving device that receives the data that includes the image data and the image controlling data from the specified server,
a memory medium that stores the data which has been received by the receiving device,
a device that determines image data which is necessary for the image to be displayed based upon the image controlling data,
a device that checks whether the necessary image data is stored in the memory medium,
a device that determines whether there is sufficient empty space available in the memory medium to store the necessary image data when the necessary image data is not stored in the memory medium,
a device that detects data that is unnecessary for the image to be displayed, and deletes the unnecessary data from the memory medium when the empty space available in the memory medium is insufficient to store the necessary image data,
an image formation device that processes the image data which has been stored in the memory medium and forms an image,
a display that displays the image which has been formed by the image formation device,
an event inputting device that inputs an event in connection with the image which has been displayed by the display,
a device that generates a script according to the event which has been input by the event inputting device,
a device that processes the script which has been generated, and
a device that controls the processing of the image data according to the result of the processing of the script.
In the network projector system of the second embodiment of this invention, the image which has been displayed by the image display can include a script, and the event inputting device can input an event in connection with the script.
In the network projector system of the first and second embodiments of this invention, by preparing image data at a server, connecting a projector and a server to a network, processing the image data at the projector, and displaying an image, a PC is not needed at a meeting place, and the image can be easily formed from the image data and displayed without being restricted by the environment. Furthermore, because it is possible to check whether the image data to be reproduced is stored, and to delete unnecessary data from a memory medium, the image data can be downloaded from a server according to the memory capacity, and the memory capacity can be kept small.
Furthermore, in the network projector system of the first and second embodiments described above, the projector can form an image by the image formation device, and the receiving device can receive image data which is necessary for an image to be displayed next from a specified server while the first image is being displayed by the image display.
By downloading the following image data from a server and reproducing the image data while the image is being displayed, it is possible to effectively perform smooth processing without interrupting the display of the image.
In the network projector system described above, the transfer device of the network can transfer data, that includes image data, image controlling data, and an image processing application from a specified server of the at least one server with which communication has been established, to the projector, and the image formation device of the projector can process the image data by the image processing application and form an image.
If an image processing application is prepared at a server, and the image processing application is read along with the image data from the server, it is not necessary to separately provide an application which processes the image data.
In the network projector system described above, the image data, which is received from the specified server by the receiving device of the projector, can include at least one of still picture data, sound data, digital video data, script data, and text data, and the image formation device of the projector can include a device that processes digital video data of the image data, and forms an image, and a device that processes image data other than digital video data and forms an image.
Moving pictures and still pictures can be individually processed according to the type of image data, and formation and display of an image can be effectively performed.
Furthermore, in order to solve the problems of the conventional art described above, a network projector system of the third embodiment of this invention is a network projector system that has at least one server connected to a network, and at least one projector connected to the at least one server through the network.
The network comprises a device that establishes communication between any projector of the at least one projector, and at least one specified server of the at least one server.
The at least one server comprises:
a device that prepares data that includes image data of the image to be reproduced by the projector, image controlling data and an image processing application,
a device that determines image data which is necessary for the image to be displayed by the projector based upon the image controlling data,
an image formation device that processes the image data which has been determined, by the image processing application of the server with which communication has been established, and forms an image,
a transfer device that transfers the image, which has been formed by the image formation device, to the projector,
a script processing device that receives a script from the projector and processes the script, and
a device that controls the image formation device according to the result from the script processing device.
The projector comprises:
a device that designates an image to be displayed to the server with which communication has been established,
a memory medium that stores the image that is transferred from the server with which communication has been established,
a device that determines whether there is sufficient area to store the image in the memory medium,
a device that detects unnecessary data, and deletes the unnecessary data from the memory medium, when the empty space available to store the image in the memory medium is insufficient,
a display that displays the image which has been stored in the memory medium,
an event inputting device that inputs an event in connection with the image which has been displayed by the display, and
a device that generates a script according to the event which has been input by the event inputting device, and transfers the script to the server with which communication has been established.
In the network projector system of the second and third embodiments of this invention, script processing can be individually performed, and an image can be effectively and interactively processed and displayed.
Furthermore, in the network projector system of the third embodiment described above, the image formation device of the server can also include a device that processes and forms digital video data of the image data, and a device that processes and forms image data other than digital video data.
Moving pictures and still pictures can be individually processed according to the type of image data, and an image can be effectively formed and displayed.